Hereafter
by jae-vous
Summary: "Can they stay like this forever?" A healthy dose of T/Z fluff, In honor of Mother's day


_Happy first week of summer vacation to me, but more importantly, Happy Mother's Day to all those Mothers out there, here and tumblr and everywhere in-between. _

_:)_

_**jae** _

* * *

Peels of laughter carry across the open field as she settles upon the cabin's steps.

The aging wood is smooth beneath her hands, planting her palms behind her for support and leaning her weight back on her arms. The porch, while expertly built and as sturdy as the hands of its own crafter, needed a fresh stain, and she makes a note to remind both the cabin's owner as well as her partner – perhaps they could plan some time in the coming summer months to help him with the chore. It could takes several hands, of which they had many.

She smiles to herself.

After all, she knew of two little helpers she could certainly enlist.

Looking out and squinting against the sun's glare, she watches while blurs of honey colored curls and sunkissed skin dance across the yard, bubbles floating above the children's heads and floating up and toward the open sky and casting rainbow spectrums in the setting sun's glow. The heavens swallow them up as they fade away into oblivion, but there are plenty more as the children continue to weave around one another, soapy and dirty but brimming with joy and happiness.

She allows herself a wider smile, their laughter infectious; she doesn't think she's ever known the sound of such innocence.

Her children are untouched, unmarred, wholly and absolutely innocent.

The world hasn't yet marked them, and as much as she loves to watch them grow, she cherishes these moments now while she can.

A plea for her attention pulls her from the direction of her thoughts, and she heeds their request for her participation, reaching for a neon wand. She swirls a brightly colored stick in the soapy mixture resting on the bottom step and blows out more bubbles for the wind to carry across the yard. The door of the cabin creaks open from behind her just as she blows another round of bubbles from the wand, and the familiar weight of her partner's footsteps come toward her from behind her back.

"Gibbs says the steaks will be off the grill soon."

She turns to smirk at him as he exhales painfully, wincing as he wills his body into a sitting position beside her. He shoots her a sheepish smile as his knee cracks and at the obvious evidence of his body beginning to really feel his years. She runs a comforting hand through the back of his hair, chuckling lightly, leaning into his shoulder. Another cry of, _"More, mommy!"_ comes from the children that now stand still, waiting eagerly for another guerrilla assault of soapy bubbles to pop. She holds the wand out for Tony, and he takes it from her hand, letting his fingers curl over hers momentarily, before pulling away and plunging the wand into the soap at his feet. His exuberant exhale produces far more bubbles than hers, and his smile rivals their children's at their sounds of amazement.

Though it took her a long time to admit it to herself, and even to understand the capacity of his love for her, it blows her away when it comes to the love between Tony and their children. Her heart slam into her chest whenever she sees the love in Tony's eyes when he looks at them, and even when it comes to her, she doesn't rival his love for their little boy and girl.

She sighs, breathing out against his skin as she presses her lips to his arm.

"Can they stay like this forever?"

Tony laughs softly, the tilt in his tone echoing her wish in agreement. A bubble drifts lazily into their space, and they both reach to catch it on the tips of their fingers. "I hate to burst your bubble," He smirks, letting the bubble go, sliding it onto her finger. She rolls her eyes up to him and quells a groan that tries to slip through her throat at his joke. He just smiles, and his eyes soften as he looks down at her. "But they're gonna grow up one day."

She lets her gaze travel back across the yard, a sudden stillness permeating the evening. Looking around, she finds the two children sitting side by side, their shoulders bumping and their heads bowed over their laps. Quiet giggling passes between them, and she strains her ears, tries but fails to hear whatever it is their bright voices are discussing. She wonders what has captured their attention and fascination so acutely, and she marvels at _her_ fascination for everything and anything they do.

She never imagined two little souls could captivate her so entirely.

But now she can't even imagine her life preceding them.

She leans forward, her head leaving Tony's shoulder as she blows the final bubble from the tip of her finger, and they watch together as it drifts away and across the yard. She settles back against her partner, and her eyes slip close as he leans down to press his lips against her cheek, a calm settling over her, as all consuming as his love.

_ "Happy Mother's Day, Ziva." _


End file.
